


Light and Low-Light

by moonphase9



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 03:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1289599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonphase9/pseuds/moonphase9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connected to my multi-fic A Death Note Carol. L's a small child. His mother tells him a bedtime story- one that could be seen as an allegory or prophetic...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light and Low-Light

One winter night, one that L does not remember, being too young at the time, when his mother was still in her right mind and his brothers still innocent and happy, L had found he could not sleep. He walked into the sitting room and saw his mother, her depression already developing at the lack of their father's presence or love, staring into their weak fire. "Cannot sleep, ma belle enfant?"

"Non, mama." He replied in French. At five years old his voice already was low and quiet, not high and androgynous like most his age.

She motioned to him and he walked over carefully to sit on her lap. Whilst he did not have his patented hunch just yet, he already moved anxiously and erratically, like a bird scavenging for food whilst in the open.

Settling on her bent legs, she began to calmly stroke through his long, dark hair. She bent forward and kissed him unthinkingly. "Shall I tell you a story, mon cher?"

"Qui, s'il vous plait, maman."

"Alright. Once upon a time there was a Prince. This Prince lived millennium after millennium. How you ask? Why because the Gods in the sky, when creating the Earth decided that the planet needed a wise and fair guardian. So, when it was all plant life, this leader was the Great Oak Tree whose wide boughs fed and sheltered all of the birds. None of them ever starved and at that point there was no winter, so its leaves never left him.

Later, when animals walked the planes alone, the Prince was a giant, golden Lion whose roar could be heard for miles around. He did not need to eat any other animals, but he was the protector of all the weak. He made sure not too many died. He made sure everything remained in balance. Did you know Luka that balance is the most important thing in the world?"

"Of course mama," replied the sleepy eyes boy who had yet to fully develop black rings around his eyes. "If there was no balance, I would always fall down and feel sea sick; both things I dislike."

She giggled at his matter of fact reply. "And what a clever boy you are to realise such things. Well, when humans walked the earth the Prince was now transformed into the most beautiful boy in the world. He was taller than most, lean and with bronze locks and golden eyes. Now, it is important to mention that every time the Prince awoke anew, he forgot his past life. Every time, like how every spring the Earth has to re-learn how to grow, so did the Prince at each birth.

Well, this Prince was distraught to see the Earth had been ruined. The ground was plastered over in concrete and covered in filth. While some people were too fat, others were too thin. Sadness and injustice and anger abounded.

The Prince decided to have a clean up. He went to the Wise Woman and asked her, "what will help me clean the Earth?"

"The Light, my child, the Light is needed. The Light on top of the ladder that is in the white desert."

So the Prince went out into the white desert. In the middle of the desert was a giant ladder made out of sea-shells. It was so high in the air, that the top could not be seen, and the sky was cloudless! Steadily, the Prince bravely climbed up it.

It was so high that it reached into outer space. Once at the top the Prince looked around. All around him were beautiful stars, each with a low blue light.

"I need a light to cleanse the earth." He called.

"Choose me," called one light.

"No me!" Spoke another.

"Ha! You will not waste your time with those weaklings will you?" A deep voice boomed out. The Prince turned to see the blinding rightness of the sun. Each flame looked smugly at him. "Choose on of us.

We are power!

WE ARE LIGHT!"

Fascinated with their strength, the Prince took a flame from the sun.

"Nooo!" Called the stars. "It is too much!"

But the Prince could not hear their warnings; his eyes were riveted to the flame.

Down on Earth, the Prince shone the light out. "Cleanse the Earth Light, cleanse the earth."

With a huge bellow, the flame flared up, reaching as high as the sky and spreading across the land. Greedily it ate up everything. The land was scorched and bare.

The Prince was distraught to find the flame ate everything! Eventually, the flame even began to eat itself.

Then everything was dark.

The Prince sobbed alone. "I only wanted to cleanse the Earth." He wept. "I did not want to destroy it…"

So busy was the Prince crying that he did not notice that each tears that fell, began to glisten and move in its own regard.

As each of the newly born stars began to dance around him, he slowly opened his eyes and noticed them

"Don't cry," whispered one of the stars. "I am but a low light, but together, let's re-build the world." Wiping his tears the Prince nodded and with Lowlight, they began to bring the universe back to its former glory.

However, the Prince made this one vital change. Once, every year, there would be a winter. The winter would be cold and dark. This was done to remind the Prince and everyone else, the dangers of arrogant bright light when attempting to make things better."

She finished her story and kissed the crown of his head once more.

"I feel sorry for the Prince." Said Luka.

"Me too, L. But it's alright. He had Lowlight to show him the way. They were forever friends after that."

"Even when the Prince was re-born?"

"Even then. They were reborn together."

"Always together?"

"Always."

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little allegory on the actual story of Death Note: Light is the Prince who has good intentions but ends up ruining everything he loves. Only in this fairytale there's a happy ending. I hope you all like it. Back in the days were I entertained the idea of being an actual author one day, I always wanted to write fairytales.
> 
> Low-Light is how L's name Lawliet is pronounced in Japanese- "Rho-raito". I always thought "Law-lee-yet." Go figure.
> 
> I hope people don't mind the name Luka. Its Russian and, well, I could not have L actually called L. That would be too bizarre.


End file.
